About
Clethra alnifolia is a robust, upright shrub that typically reaches heights of up to 2 meters. Its leaves are simple and obovate with a serrated edge, often turning yellow as fall approaches. During the summer months, the plant produces clusters of near-white flowers in upright, terminal racemes that emit a pleasant fragrance. There are also varieties with pink flowers available.
About the genus
Clethra consists of trees or shrubs that can be either deciduous or evergreen. They often feature notable bark and have simple leaves. The small, fragrant flowers are typically white, bell-shaped, and arranged in racemes or panicles.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- E N America
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile humus-rich moist but well-drained acid soil, best in part or dappled shade
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1; remove some of the old wood from the base in winter, leaving the strongest suckers as replacement growth
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in spring or autumn; propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free